Ian Garrad, West Coast manager in the United States for England’s Rootes Group, took early notice of Carroll Shelby’s success with his Ford-powered Cobras, and reasoned that the Sunbeam Alpine sports car could be similarly improved. He approached Shelby with a proposal to do just that, but Shelby’s Venice, California, shops were already overwhelmed with work. Garrad then turned to Shelby’s development driver, Ken Miles, also a master mechanic and fabricator who had driven California Rootes dealer Larry Reed’s racing Sunbeam to numerous wins. Miles soon had a prototype powered by a standard Galaxie-specification 260 CI V-8 with a 2-speed automatic transmission. Soon afterward, Shelby assigned fabricator George Boskoff to build a Shelby version, which used a 4-speed manual transmission behind the 289/160 HP engine. After driving both cars, Garrad chose the Shelby version, which Shelby made sure was finished to a higher standard than the Miles car, knowing it would be sent to England for evaluation by Lord Rootes himself. Initially chagrined that the work had gone on without his knowledge, Roots nonetheless gave the car his enthusiastic approval, ordering its launch to take place just eight months later at the 1964 New York Auto Show. Rootes sold over 7,000 Sunbeam Tigers in both Mark I and Mark II form before Chrysler took over the Rootes Group and shut down production in 1967, and the cars like this recently restored Mark I have enjoyed an enthusiastic following ever since. Finished in evocative bright blue with silver stripes, this 1965 Tiger feels the kick of 321 horses from its Holley 4-barrel equipped 302 Ford small-block V-8, here backed with a 4-speed manual transmission. With approximately 100 miles on the engine, this strong-running Mark I rides on BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires on Minilite-style aluminum wheels and features a black interior with blue piping, an AM/FM radio and a removable hardtop with new glass.

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Information found on the website is presented as advance information for the auction lot. Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Mecum Auction does not verify, warrant or guarantee this information. The lot and information presented at auction on the auction block supersedes any previous descriptions or information. Mecum is not responsible for information that may be changed or updated prior to the auction. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the lot at the auction site prior to the auction.